Category: Product endorsements

Some Words on Reinvention

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I like to think after all these years of blogging, I am finally finding my voice. The Courtney today isn’t the Courtney of yesterday which is apparent in old photos, views, passions, and beliefs. Today’s post is about reinvention, and not necessarily about food, or food blogging, but then again maybe it is? My friend AfroBella referred me to the PR folks at Eucerin to attend MORE Magazines Reinvention Convention. Eucerin sponsored Dr. Pamela Peeke, who gave a wonderful lecture on how to be your healthy fit best after 40. The same we focus on our overall health care, we need to do with our skin, the largest organ of our body. As cooks, proper care and nurturing of our skin, hands, and arms is essential to aid healing. Click here to take the Skin First Pledge.
More Reinvention Convention

Reinvent your career • Revive your look • Rev up your energy

Reimagine your future • Reinvigorate your sex life • Revise your priorities

Recharge your life
To say the day was so inspiring would be an understatement. Even now as I type this I am still buzzing on the wealth of information and shared stories I took away. With Speakers like Lee Woodruff, Dara Torres, Dana Delany. Dr. Pamela Peeke, and career coach Pamela Mitchell I realized I am in my Prime and there are so many new chapters to my story awaiting. I recognized pieces of me in stories ranging from coping with loss, being in a place career wise you don’t want to be and seeking change, tackling our changing bodies, and mostly important realizing being a woman over 40 is to be very relevant with knowledge to share. Funny thing I never really identified with being in that MORE demographic, but I am and I am proud. If you follow my tweets you will see I shared some tidbits from day with the hash tags of #skin first and #more invention.
For most of us blogging, we are already in some stage of Reinvention. I realized as I listened to career coach Pamela Mitchell that I was already practicing the 10 rules of reinvention by starting this blog. Coco Cooks has opened a whole new world for me that forced me to recognize my passion and give it legitimacy. Through the blog, I had many new opportunities, which parlayed correctly have led me to second career of sorts. It was evident that Age IS just a number (Dara Torres) and regardless if you are in the kitchen, playing field, or boardroom our hunger to succeed and have quality of life hasn’t subsided after 40. I’m reminded of a recent negative situation I have been going through with a person a decade younger. All I could think of as I listened to her know it all opinions, was  to keep on living little girl ( my mother’s favorite words). Life at 30 for you now will so different from when you reach 40.And 40 will be different from 50, etc. What you thought you knew or wanted, you really didn’t know or want at all. Reinvention, be it forced or planned, is key to a successful life.
Thank you Eucerin and MORE Magazine for reminding me of that.
*Disclosure. New Media Strategies, representing Eucerin US sponsored my attendance to attend More Magazines Reinvention Convention. A $198 value.


Greensbury Farms Organic Chicken With Borowiki Mushrooms And Pumpkin Seed Oil

After travel, no matter how much you love it, there is no place like home and a home cooked restorative meal. When I travel I love to discover a place via its food. I have always been impressed with the food of Europe. Austria is a gateway to the East and one finds not only rich, sturdy,and at times decadent food, but a emphasis on health. If you go to any restaurant you will see Kurbis or Pumpkin on the menu. And in these regions like Austria and Slovenia, they love Pumpkin Oil which they drizzle on anything from soups , salads, and meats.Pumpkin Oil is high in health benefits. One doesn’t cook with it, but use it as a finishing oil to retain the beneficial properties( rich in vitamins, omegas, good in urinary and prostate health, irritable bowel, and kidney stones). In the United States it’s hard to find and quite costly at around $25 a bottle from I have seen. But its available via mail order .
Europeans have always adhered to seasonal and local eating which we are just getting enthusiastic about here. Eating this way is not always convenient or affordable. I was lucky to receive organic meat and chicken samples from Greensbury Market.

I’m usually not a huge fan of mail order frozen meats. I will use them if on hand,but not something I go out the way to purchase. Greenbury sent me both beef and chicken. Prior to leaving I made the beef which was genuine 100 Grass Fed Top Sirloin. Just a simple grill with homemade steak sauce from Michael Symons Live to Cook book I won from Feeding Maybelle. It was excellent. The flavor and texture survived the freezing process and was really quite exceptional.

So after resting from a literal 24 hour journey with a long rest in Krakow Poland, where I spent my time looking at the Polish Vodkas in Duty free and buying Dried Polish mushrooms, I reintroduced myself to my kitchen. I took the Greensbury Farm Chicken Fillets, which are just as superb as the beef, and decided to incorporate my Pumpkin Oil and Borowiki mushrooms. A quick simple meal with a nod to my love of European Flavors.

The dried mushrooms are the King of Forest Mushrooms in Poland and emit a rich earthy flavor. If you google Polish Dried Mushrooms, you will find all sorts of sources to order from. Just soak the mushroom in hot water and let sit for 5 minutes or more. Don’t discard the liquid, as it can be used in the cooking. I used my mushroom liquid in the boiling of Quinoa, which was a side dish.
Greensbury Farms Organic Chicken With Borowiki Mushrooms And Pumpkin Seed Oil
2 Servings
2 Greensbury Farm Organic Chicken Breasts
1/2 onion chopped coarsely
1 cup Boiling water
1/4 dried Borowiki Mushrooms ( you can use regular mushrooms as well, but try to get Borowiki. The flavor is intense.)
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dried Thyme
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pumpkin Seed Oil
Soak Dried Borowiki Mushrooms in 1 Cup Boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add Chicken breasts. Cook for a few minutes on each side to sear on medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add chopped onions to skillet and brown with the chicken.Add Thyme and dried Mustard powder. Reduce heat to low medium. Once onions start to brown, de glaze pan with the chicken stock. Add mushrooms( save liquid for cooking rice, Quinoa, etc.). Reduce stock and mushrooms with the chicken. Add fresh heavy cream and cook until reduced and thickened slightly. Plate and drizzle with the Pumkin Seed Oil.
Serve hot.

Sugar Body Scrubs…Low Cost Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas From C & H Sugar

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If you are looking for cookies today, bear with me, they will come later.I promise. This weekend threw an unexpected work gig my way and coming home from it that evening I had a car accident on the highway caused by a teenager rear ending me. I am fine, but as you can see was shaken and couldn’t even think about baking last night.
One project that did relax me and I am so excited for was making these sugar scrubs. C& H Sugar contacted me to write about some wonderful Holiday gift ideas. What makes C& H Sugars on the market is that use pure cane sugar, not beet sugar. Find out here what makes cane sugar so much better for baking and why their Brown Sugars are true brown sugars.
I am a bath products fiend! Many of you don’t know that I have worked in the cosmetics industry over 20 years, since leaving university. In this industry I have and wear many hats from makeup artist, account executive, to developing and supporting new business stateside and abroad. So beauty and most importantly skin is very important to me. To many of us, myself included abuse the largest organ on out body with not enough water intake, moisture, chemicals, and to much sun. Cosmetics and products abound and many are costly that we cant afford to take care of ourselves in the optimal way the companies say we should. But wouldn’t it be great if we can whip up some fabulous beauty products at home. And what wonderful gifts these would make for the Holidays, birthdays, Mothers Day, etc. They can even be tailored for the men in your life. I don’t know about you , but they have been known to use our product from time to time. So next time you are about to give your loved one a massage, throw in some sugar scrubs for their shower afterwords. Their backs and feet will smooth and cuddly.
The following are some great recipes. Be sure to visit C&H Sweet Ideas Page for more edible and Non Edible ideas and great tips and templates for decorating, gift tags, etc. Feel Free to play around with your own essential oils , extracts, and spice blends. I added Lime Essential oils to my White Cane Glimmer Sugar Scrub and yummy Pineapple extract to my Brown Sugar Scrub. The Sense of smell in regards to aromatherapy is part of the whole de stressing package. So use what appeals to you. I only advise that these be used for body, not face.

White Cane Glimmer Sugar Scrub

1 cup – C&H® Pure Cane Sugar
1 cup – vegetable oil
Oil from 1 vitamin E capsule
1 or 2 drops – of essential oil, lavender or orange
1 16oz. – glass container with lid

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Using a spatula, transfer mix into the container and secure lid. Contents will settle, mix before using. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten on your skin.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

We know the perfect way to relax after a long day of baking! Try this luxurious homemade spa treatment using a delicious aromatic blend of C&H® Brown Sugar, moisturizing oils and fresh fragrances. You can also create this homemade sugar scrub, as a thoughtful, low-cost gift that will make your friends feel a little sweeter!

1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup ground oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup almond oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Small containers with lids

Combine all ingredients using a spatula in a large bowl until well blended. Mix should have a paste like texture. If it is too dry add more oil a few drops at a time. Conversely, if it is too oily add more dry ingredients until you reach the desired consistency. Store in jars for up to 2 weeks in refrigerator. May need to mix before use if ingredients settle.

Application:
Gently apply to wet skin in a circular motion concentrating on dry patches and rough areas of your skin. Avoid using the scrub on sensitive areas, in cuts or on skin that is irritated or sunburned. Sugar scrubs are also not recommended for the face. Thoroughly rinse with warm water.

Caution: the oil in the sugar scrub can cause the tub to become slippery.

Have fun creating your own signature body scrub by experimenting with various scents from essential oils like grapefruit, lavender or peppermint, found in specialty markets or crafts stores.

Sweet N’ Spicy Brown Sugar Scrub

1 cup – C&H® Dark or Light Brown Sugar
1 cup – C&H® Pure Cane Sugar
¾ cup – almond oil
2 tsp. – cinnamon, powdered
2 tsp. – ginger, powdered
2 tsp. – nutmeg, powdered
1 16 oz. – glass container with lid
Cinnamon sticks, optional

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Be sure to break up any lumps from the brown sugar or from the spices. Spoon into the glass container and secure with lid. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten

Some decorating ideas. I went a little ethnic with mine on some . I also used odd and ends from my sewing box and a glue gun. Recycle any old jars you may have and be sure to include the instructions on the gift tag.Hope this inspires you.

Star Anise and Cinnamon Sticks Glued to Lid

Disclosure: C& H Sugar provided me with a $20 gift card to help me with expenses in this project.